Friday, July 27, 2012

TRAIN WHEELS DISHCLOTH

This one is really called "Round Link Cables" in Barbara Walker's Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns, but mine came out more like the wheels on an old steam locomotive (OK- if you hold it sideways). The cloth is large, thick, and deeply textured. A bit of a handful for dishes, in my opinion, but it would make a capital washcloth.

I used Knitpicks Dishie. If you prefer to use a thicker yarn such as Peaches & Creme, I would go up to knitting needles #6, and make the cloth with four cables rather than five. Otherwise it might turn into a bath towel!

Row 13: (K1, P1) twice, P2, Make a 9-stitch cable cross as follows: slip 6 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, k3, then slip the center 3 sts from the cable needle back to left-hand needle; pass the cable needle with the reemaining 3 stitches to the back of work; k3 from left-hand needle, then k3 from the cable needle. *(P2, K9, P2, 9-st cable as before), repeat from * until there are 6 stitiches remaining, P2, (K1, P1) twice.Row 15 and 17: Same as Rows 9 and 11.Row 19:(K1, P1) twice, *(P2, K9, P2, 9-st cable), repeat from * until there are 6 stitiches remaining, P2, (K1, P1) twice.Rows 21 and 23: Same as Rows 9 and 11.Repeat Rows 13-24 for pattern until cloth is square, and you have just finished a cable row. Repeat Rows 8-12 one more time.

Decrease row: (K1, P1) twice for side border, P2, *(K1, K2tog, P1, P2tog, K1, k2tog, P2) repeat from * across to last 4 stitches, then (K1, P1) twice. Now you should have 50 stitches (42 for P&C).Repeat Rows 1-6 for top border, then bind off in pattern.